Tag: stardust

David Bowie’s passing this week has been a shock to many – the release of his latest album just a few days before his death gave the impression he was very much alive and well.

What makes a man dying of cancer go on, make an album, create a musical, think about the next album, smile with all his heart?

Some might say he kept busy and refused to face the cruel reality. Others might say he was insuring his family’s financial health by delivering one last dazzling image of himself to the people willing to pay for it. After all, he was one hell of a businessman – he sensed the perfect moment to issue his famous Bowie Bonds.

Others might think he ultimately found God. After all, his wife Iman did say

David Bowie was a complex human being and we all saw the part of him which resembled us most.

But what do we have exactly? We have a man with many faces, always willing to explore some other part of himself. Never stuck in a particular moment of his fame, always flowing and evolving, understanding more and more about who he is and his place in this world. A truly free spirit backed by flawless vision: he had no trouble recognizing his soul mate and life partner when he met her (Iman), he accurately understood where technological evolution was headed, he was not ashamed to grow old. And no doubt many more – the ones that really knew him would know.

For us who didn’t know him, there’s his music. His music is his diary, it reflects his journey across the sky. Not a blazing comet, but a breathtaking set of fireworks. Sometimes way too much. Silent and contemplative in between.

As Joni Mitchell would probably say, Ziggy Stardust found his way back to the garden.